Theory of Critical Approaches
15 social ideology. “Since every writer is a member of society, he can be studied as a
social being” 96. The main source is his biography, but the information about where he came and in which he lived becomes another important point to explore.
His opinion of what happen in his society matters in analyzing his work. The second is the influence of literature on society. It has a connection in a
way that the writer is not only being influenced by society but also influencing society. The work that he produces is also influencing the shape and behavior of
society. People learn how to live their lives based on what they read in the book Wellek and Warren 105.
The third aspect is the main focus of this thesis. The context of the works also deals with the implications and social purpose of the works. The most
common relation between literature and society is that the study of works of literature is considered as social documents and assumed as the pictures of social
reality. As a social document, literature can be used to give the outlines of social history. But studies of literature as simply social documents are not enough if
critics do not go beyond it. They should know the artistic method of the novelist being studied - in what relation the picture stands to the social reality. Is it realistic
by intention? Or is it, at certain points, satire, caricature, or romantic idealization? Wellek and Warren 102-104. The writer has his own opinion about the social
issues in the society where he lives. Though not like a history work, the opinions of the writer about those social issues can be traced in his work of literature.
16
2.2. Review on the British Society of the Early Victorian Era 2.2.1 Governmental and Political Condition
The parliament was ruled mostly by the high class. They ruled the government and created laws that must be obeyed by others. One of the
requirements for being a Member of Parliament is the ownership of the land, as George King said “Ownership of the land was an eligibility requirement for the
member of Parliament” qtd. from the New Encyclopedia Britannica Volume 3 261. Therefore, people from lower class society did not have rights in the
Parliament. There are two major groups that existed in that period, Chartism and the
middle class Anti-Corn Laws League. The Chartism was aimed at parliamentary reform, containing six points: annual parliament, universal male suffrage, the
ballot, no property qualifications for the members of Parliament, payment for members and equal electoral districts. The Chartism was existed because of the
grievances of the working class. They were discontent because of bad harvests, industrial unemployment, and high food price that made them hungry.
The second group is the middle class Anti-Corn Laws League. This league was established by the middle class people who disagree with the Corn Law of
1815. The Corn Law was created by the agriculturalists, who were predominant in Parliament, attempted to protect their economy position by raising the prices of
grain and rents. The league aimed to repeal the Corn Laws, by doing so, the league believed that it would manage the problems of guaranteeing the livelihood
of the poor and securing the prosperity of industry The New Encyclopedia Britannica Volume 3, 261-6.